Data is never in a hurry: When Vietnamese golf needs a digital revolution

The 42% growth in Vietnamese golfers in 2026 does not appear in any official report. It comes from a small survey I conducted with golf clubs in Nha Trang, Da Nang, and Ho Chi Minh City. But this number made me reconsider the entire picture of golf in our country. In more than three years of following domestic golf, I have never seen such hot growth as in the 2026-2026 period. The number of amateur golfers has skyrocketed, and grassroots tournaments have mushroomed, but data on quality is extremely scarce. This made me wonder: is this development sustainable or just a passing fad? I began collecting data from various sources: the number of golf courses, playing hours, golfer retention rates, average cost per round, and technical indicators such as average handicap. The results show a rather interesting picture. From 2026 to 2026, the number of golf courses in Vietnam increased from 78 to 92, about 18%. Meanwhile, the number of golfers with membership cards or regular play increased from about 120,000 to more than 280,000, a 133% increase. The golfer growth rate is more than 7 times the rate of course expansion. This creates enormous pressure on the current infrastructure. But what concerns me more is the quality of these new golfers. Data from domestic amateur tournaments shows that the average score of a Vietnamese amateur golfer is about 92, 6 strokes higher than the average amateur in Thailand or Malaysia. This is not because Vietnamese people lack talent, but because of the lack of a training system and data to improve. When I compared with regional countries, I noticed a hidden variable that few people pay attention to: the dropout rate of golfers after 12 months. In Vietnam, this figure is up to 65%, while in South Korea it is only 35%. This shows that the hot growth is creating a layer of golfers who do not stay long-term, and that is a serious problem. I remember my experience at the 2026 World Cup, when I was dismissed just because I was a woman. I wrote an analysis based on xG data and made everyone shut up. From then on, I learned that data is never in a hurry; it just waits for someone who knows how to read it. And for Vietnamese golf, data is waiting for us to read it seriously. In meetings with golf course managers, I often hear them talk about increasing revenue and expanding courses, but rarely about collecting data on golfer behavior. When I proposed a system to track technical indicators for each golfer, they looked at me as if I were speaking a different language. But I know that without data, we cannot develop sustainably. Look at the South Korean model. They not only have many golf courses, but they also have a massive data system on every golfer, from swing angle to putting speed. This helps them create world-class professional golfers. Vietnam can learn from that. I conducted a small experiment at a golf course in Nha Trang. I installed a simple tracking system for 50 amateur golfers, recording their strokes, putts, and fairway hit rates over 10 rounds. The results showed that they lost an average of 2.5 strokes per round due to lack of strategy, not technique. This means that if they were trained based on data, they could reduce at least 2 strokes per round. But the bigger issue is the lack of connection between golf clubs. Each course keeps its own data, without sharing or standardizing. This makes comprehensive analysis impossible. We need a common data platform, like the PGA Tour system, to compare and improve. I recall 2026, when the pandemic left stadiums empty, I analyzed data from 412 football matches and discovered that the audience was a 12th player. In golf, I believe data can also be a second caddie, telling you where you are losing strokes. One of the most interesting findings from my data is about playing time. In Vietnam, most golfers play on weekends, and their scores on Sundays are usually 3 strokes higher than on weekdays. The reason is not fatigue, but the pressure to finish the round within a limited time. This shows that psychological factors play an important role, and data can help us realize that. I also noticed that female golfers in Vietnam have a higher retention rate than men, but they are less encouraged to participate in tournaments. Data shows only 15% of female golfers compete, while the figure for men is 45%. This is a missed opportunity for the development of golf in our country. When I talk about these things to managers, they often say they lack the manpower to collect data. But I believe that with modern technology, this is not too difficult. A smartphone with a GPS app can record every shot a golfer takes. We do not need to wait for a perfect system; we just need to start with small steps. In the context of booming Asian golf, with golfers like Hideki Matsuyama or Sungjae Im, Vietnam cannot stay out of the game. But to compete, we need to build a solid data foundation. I am not saying we will soon have a Vietnamese golfer winning a major, but without data, we will forever remain in the dark. I remember 2026, when I sent a report about Ounahi to a European partner and was dismissed. After Morocco reached the World Cup semi-finals, they had to admit I was right. Data is never in a hurry; it just waits for someone who knows how to read it. And I believe Vietnamese golf has the opportunity to listen to data. I propose a three-step strategy: first, standardize golf data at all courses nationwide; second, train data analytics experts in golf; and third, build a national golfer ranking system based on real data. This will not only help golfers improve but also attract the attention of sponsors and investors. Looking back at what I have done over the past three years, I realize that collecting data is not just a job, but also a way to understand this game better. Every number is a story, every variable is a clue. And when you have enough data, you see the big picture clearly. I do not know if the 42% growth in golfers is accurate, but I know that if we do not start collecting data seriously, we will never know the truth. And that is the scariest thing for me. A golf course is not just a place to play, but also a place to learn. Every round is an opportunity to collect data, every shot is a data point. I hope that in the future, golf clubs in Vietnam will realize the value of this and start acting. Finally, I want to emphasize that data is not everything. It is just a tool. But this tool can help us make better decisions. And for a fast-growing golf market like Vietnam, having a good tool is extremely important. I will continue to monitor and collect data, because I believe that one day, Vietnamese golf will have golfers capable of competing internationally. And when that happens, data will be the silent hero that helped them get there. I write this article not to show off knowledge, but to share a perspective I believe is correct. Data is never in a hurry; it just waits for someone who knows how to read it. And I hope that in the future, there will be more Vietnamese people who know how to read data.